T-Mobile, Dish, Comcast, U.S. Cellular and Others Take FCC Auction

The FCC officially announced the closing of the broadcast incentive auction yesterday, calling the $19.8 billion in gross revenue for 70 MHz of spectrum one of its “highest grossing auctions ever.”

Among the largest winners are T-Mobile, Dish, Comcast, and U.S. Cellular.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai called the conclusion “a milestone” and said consumers would benefit from “greater competition and innovation in the mobile broadband marketplace” and additional resources and programming from broadcasters.

In the forward auction, wireless carriers bid $19.8 billion on mobile broadband spectrum. A total of 50 winning bidders (out of 62) won 70 MHz of licensed spectrum. A total of 14 MHz of spectrum is available for unlicensed use and wireless microphones.

A total of more than $10 billion will go to 175 winning broadcasters that elected to participate in the incentive auction and repurpose their airwaves for mobile use.